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Efforts to Avert the Storm

INITIAL FOLLOW-UP

The Gathering Storm report concluded that America was in substantial danger of losing its economic leadership position and suffering a concomitant decline of the standard of living of its citizens because of a looming inability to compete for jobs in the global marketplace.

In the weeks following the Gathering Storm report’s release, over one hundred editorials and op-eds appeared in the nation’s newspapers, at least one in every state, addressing the issues raised in the report. Virtually all supported the National Academies’ conclusions and joined in the call for action. President George W. Bush included many of the report’s recommendations in his 2006 State of the Union Address and in the days immediately following the address traveled extensively, speaking in part about the report’s highest priority findings—K-12 education and basic research.

Implementing-legislation with 62 co-sponsors was promptly introduced in the United States Senate. A series of hearings was held in both the House and the Senate and the “America COMPETES Act” was forwarded to the House and Senate floor with strong bipartisan support—something the Gathering Storm effort has enjoyed throughout the first five years of its existence.

During 2007, the House of Representatives, in two key actions, approved the necessary authorizing legislation by votes of 389-22 and 397-20 (two votes were taken for procedural reasons). The authorizing legislation subsequently passed the Senate by a

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2.0
Efforts to Avert the Storm
INITIAL FOLLOW-UP
The Gathering Storm report concluded that America was in substantial danger of losing
its economic leadership position and suffering a concomitant decline of the standard
of living of its citizens because of a looming inability to compete for jobs in the global
marketplace.
In the weeks following the Gathering Storm report’s release, over one hundred editori-
als and op-eds appeared in the nation’s newspapers, at least one in every state, addressing
the issues raised in the report. Virtually all supported the National Academies’ conclusions
and joined in the call for action. President George W. Bush included many of the report’s
recommendations in his 2006 State of the Union Address and in the days immediately fol-
lowing the address traveled extensively, speaking in part about the report’s highest priority
findings—K-12 education and basic research.
Implementing-legislation with 62 co-sponsors was promptly introduced in the United
States Senate. A series of hearings was held in both the House and the Senate and the
“America COMPETES Act” was forwarded to the House and Senate floor with strong
bipartisan support—something the Gathering Storm effort has enjoyed throughout the first
five years of its existence.
During 2007, the House of Representatives, in two key actions, approved the nec-
essary authorizing legislation by votes of 389-22 and 397-20 (two votes were taken for
procedural reasons). The authorizing legislation subsequently passed the Senate by a
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effOrTS TO aVerT THe STOrM
vote of 88-8. Final approval in the House of the America COMPETES authorization act
was by unanimous consent following 367-57 approval of the conference report. In what
perhaps might best be described as a system failure, virtually no funds to implement the
Gathering Storm recommendations were included in the final version of the Fiscal 2008
Appropriations Act (although some 10,000 earmarks survived). The Gathering Storm rec-
ommendations required approximately $19 billion per year for implementation, once a
transition phase was completed. Starting with the fiscal 2008 supplemental budget, fund-
ing for the relevant agencies of the Department of Energy Office of Science, the National
Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratories
has been on a trajectory that, if sustained, will result in a doubling by 2017. In contrast,
funding of the STEM education-related recommendations lagged.
During the first two years following the release of the Gathering Storm report the
principal impact of the efforts by the Academies and a wide array of interested con-
stituencies—including the Council on Competitiveness, the Business Roundtable, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society,
the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-Grant
Universities, and others—was to forestall actions that would otherwise have diminished
America’s competitiveness. A private-sector organization, the National Math and Science
Initiative, was established based on the Gathering Storm recommendations to increase
participation in Advance Placement courses in high school and to provide additional
teachers qualified in mathematics and science.1
SUbSEqUENT FOLLOW-UP
Responding to the severe downturn of the economy in the fall of 2008, “stimulus
legislation,” designated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, was
introduced. A special hearing chaired by Speaker Nancy Pelosi was held, in part to
address the long-term implications of any potential legislation. During the hearing wit-
nesses noted that the Gathering Storm report emphasized the need for investments for the
longer term—particularly in K-12 education and university research. Legislation that was
eventually approved provided funding to implement many of the report’s recommenda-
tions. President Obama, who had previously endorsed improvements to the nation’s K-12
education system and the addition of funds for science, including a major increase in
funding at the National Institutes of Health, signed ARRA on February 17, 2009.
1 See http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/.
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rISING aBOVe THe GaTHerING STOrM, reVISITeD
This, together with other legislation that was enacted, increased total federal support
for all aspects of K-12 education by a projected $59 billion between 2009 and 2010, pro-
vided scholarships for a number of future mathematics and science teachers and provided
funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) patterned after the
Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.2 Processing of
student visas was improved, reducing the delays and uncertainties that resulted from post-
9/11 changes; however, this continues to be a deterrent to many talented foreign students
and professionals.
OvERALL STATUS OF FOLLOW-UP
Table 2-1, derived from an assessment conducted by the Congressional Research
Service, summarizes recent Congressional actions, or lack thereof, in response to each
of the National Academies’ recommendations and implementing actions in Rising Above
the Gathering Storm.
Today, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, intended as a one-time action,
is nearing expiration. Without new actions the precipitous reduction in efforts that were
being funded by that mechanism will be very damaging to America’s future ability to
compete for jobs in the global marketplace. Similarly, authorization for the America
COMPETES Act requires renewal this year as it too is scheduled to expire.
Thus, the Gathering Storm effort as viewed in the middle of 2010, although still enjoy-
ing strong support in the White House and in both parties in the Congress, finds itself
at a tipping point. The issue at stake is whether funding to help assure that Americans
can compete for quality jobs will be provided on a sustained basis. The budgetary pres-
sures now faced by the nation make such investments extremely difficult; however, if not
made the future consequences in terms of unemployment and related costs will likely be
immense. In the judgment of the National Academies Gathering Storm committee, failure
to support a strong competitiveness program will have dire consequences for the nation
as a whole as well as for its individual citizens.
2 Regarding increased K-12 education spending, based on a total of $38.8 billion in federal K-12 spending
in 2008, and a projected $137.1 billion for 2009 and 2010 combined. See: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/
default/files/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/hist09z9.xls.
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SUMMARY
The two highest priority actions for the nation, in the view of the Gathering Storm
committee, are to provide teachers in every classroom qualified to teach the subject
they teach and to double the federal investment in research—the latter of which would
be competitively awarded and largely conducted by the nation’s research universities as
opposed to government facilities.
Overall, the steps recently taken to strengthen the nation’s basic research program
have been substantial—albeit tenuous because of the one-time funding mechanism
employed. Some steps taken to enhance K-12 education have been noteworthy as well,
but in terms of actual implementation have fallen far short of the Gathering Storm commit-
tee’s recommendations. Similarly, such actions as increasing the granting of H-1B visas;
making the R&D tax credit permanent; changing intellectual property laws; modernizing
export control policies; and assuring that qualified math and science teachers are avail-
able to every student, have languished.
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TAbLE 2-1 Implementation Status of Recommendations from Rising Above the Gathering
Storm
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS CONgRESSIONAL ACTIONS
Recommendation A: Increase America’s talent pool by vastly improving K–12 science and mathematics
education.
Action A-: Annually recruit 0,000 science and mathematics teachers by awarding 4-year scholarships
and thereby educating 0 million minds.
A-1-1. Provide merit-based, 4-year scholarships About $225 million appropriated for Robert Noyce
of up to $20,000 per year to students who Teacher Scholarship program at NSF over FY 2008-
commit to 5 years of teaching after obtaining 2010 ($10,000 stipends to juniors/seniors).
bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields and
concurrent certification as K-12 science and
mathematics teachers.
A-1-2. Award matching grants of $1 million Over $450 million authorized, about $3 million
a year for up to 5 years for universities to appropriated for Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow
establish integrated 4-year undergraduate program over FY 2008-2010.
programs leading to bachelor’s degrees in STEM
fields with a teacher certification.
Action A-2: Strengthen the skills of 250,000 teachers through training and education programs
at summer institutes, in master’s programs, and in Advanced Placement (AP) and International
Baccalaureate (IB) training programs.
A-2-1. Provide matching grants to 1- to 2- Appropriated funds not specified (no line item).
week summer institutes to upgrade the skills Obama Administration argues that this corresponds to
of as many as 50,000 practicing teachers each DOE Academies Creating Teacher Scientists program.
summer.
A-2-2. Provide grants to universities to offer, $375 million authorized, about $3 million
over 5 years, 50,000 current middle and high appropriated over FY 2008-2010.
school STEM teachers part-time master’s degree
programs.
A-2-3. Train an additional 70,000 AP or IB and $45.8 million appropriated in FY 2010 for high-need
80,000 pre-AP or pre-IB instructors to teach schools.
advanced courses in STEM fields.
A-2-4. Convene a national panel to develop The Department of Education established a related
rigorous K-12 materials as a voluntary national panel in 2008 that met and commissioned several
curriculum. papers on undergraduate STEM education
Action A-3: Enlarge the pipeline of students who are prepared to enter college and graduate with a
degree in science, engineering, or mathematics by increasing the number of students who pass AP and
IB science and mathematics courses.
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TAbLE 2-1 Continued
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS CONgRESSIONAL ACTIONS
A-3-1. Increase the number of students who $45.8 million appropriated in FY2010 for reimbursing
take AP or IB STEM courses to 1.5 million, and low-income students in high-need schools for AP/IB
triple the number who pass to 700,000. Student test fees.
incentives to include 50% exam fee rebates and
$100 mini-scholarships for each passing score
on AP/IB science or mathematics exams.
Other actions: Specialty STEM high schools, About $89 million authorized, but funds not
summer internships for middle and high school appropriated or not specified.
students
Recommendation b: Sustain and strengthen the nation’s traditional commitment to long-term basic research
that has the potential to be transformational to maintain the flow of new ideas that fuel the economy,
provide security, and enhance the quality of life.
Action B-1: Increase the federal investment in Authorization and appropriation levels over FY 2008-
long-term basic research by 10% each year over 2010 largely reflect this recommendation for NSF,
the next 7 years, with special attention to the NIST, and DOE Office of Science.
physical sciences, engineering, mathematics,
and information sciences and to Department of
Defense (DOD) basic-research funding.
Action B-2: Provide new research grants of About $75 million authorized for DOE, appropriated
$500,000 each annually, payable over 5 years, funds not specified; about $550 million authorized,
to 200 of the nation’s most outstanding early- $700 million appropriated to NSF in the FY2009
career researchers. Omnibus and ARRA.
Action B-3: Institute a National Coordination OSTP states that ARRA provides funding for research
Office for Advanced Research Instrumentation infrastructure that addresses some of these concerns.
and Facilities to manage a fund of $500 million OSTP has also been directed in legislation to
in incremental funds per year over the next 5 identify deficiencies in federal research facilities and
years. coordinate responses.
Action B-4: Allocate at least 8% of the budgets America COMPETES contains “sense of the Congress”
of federal research agencies to discretionary language encouraging agencies to allocate a portion of
funding of high-risk, high-payoff research. basic research funding to transformative projects.
Action B-5: Create an Advanced Research $415 million appropriated in the FY2009 Omnibus
Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) with initial and ARRA.
annual funding of $300 million, increasing to
$1 billion over 5-6 years.
Action B-6: Institute a Presidential Innovation The existing “National Medal of Technology” has
Award to stimulate scientific and engineering been renamed the “National Medal of Technology and
advances in the national interest. Innovation.”
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TAbLE 2-1 Continued
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS CONgRESSIONAL ACTIONS
Recommendation C: Make the United States the most attractive setting in which to study and perform
research so that we can develop, recruit, and retain the best and brightest students, scientists, and engineers
from within the United States and throughout the world.
Action C-1: Increase the number and proportion About $350 million authorized and $130 million
of U.S. citizens who earn bachelor’s degrees in appropriated to NSF over FY2009-2010 for related
STEM fields by providing 25,000 new 4-year programs, such as the STEM Talent Expansion Program
competitive undergraduate scholarships each and the Research Experience for Undergraduates
year to be distributed to states on the basis of Program.
the size of their congressional delegations and
awarded via national examinations.
Action C-2: Increase the number of U.S. About $640 million authorized and $475 million
citizens pursuing graduate study in “areas of appropriated over FY 2009-2010 (including ARRA) to
national need” by funding 5,000 new graduate NSF for existing programs such as Graduate Research
fellowships each year through NSF, with annual Fellowships, Integrative Graduate Education and
stipend levels of $30,000, plus $20,000 for Research Traineeships, and Protecting America’s
tuition and fees. Competitive Edge Graduate Fellowships.
Action C-3: Provide a federal tax credit to Not acted on.
encourage employers to make continuing
education available (either internally or through
colleges and universities) to practicing scientists
and engineers.
Action C-4: Continue to improve visa Not addressed by Congress, but various sources report
processing for international students and that the Department of State has made significant
scholars. progress in streamlining security screening.
Action C-5: Provide a 1-year automatic visa By regulation, the Office of Citizenship and
extension to international students who receive Immigration Services extended the optional practical
doctorates or the equivalent in STEM fields at training period for F-1 nonimmigrant students with
qualified U.S. institutions, and provide them STEM degrees from 12 to 29 months, and amended
with automatic work permits if they are offered regulations to allow for automatic extensions of status
employment by a U.S.-based employer and pass and employment authorizations for F-1 students with
a security screening test. pending H-1B applications.
Action C-6: Institute a new skills-based, Prior legislation exempts up to 20,000 aliens holding a
preferential immigration option giving persons master’s or higher degree from the annual cap on H1-B
with doctoral-level education and science visas.
and engineering skills priority in obtaining
U.S. citizenship. Increase the number of H1-B
visas for applicants with doctorates from U.S.
universities by 10,000.
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TAbLE 2-1 Continued
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS CONgRESSIONAL ACTIONS
Action C-7: Reform the current system of Not acted on.
“deemed exports,” giving international students
and researchers engaged in fundamental
research in the United States with access
to United States research equipment and
information that is comparable to that provided
to U.S. citizens.
Recommendation D: Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world to innovate; invest
in downstream activities such as manufacturing and marketing; and create high-paying jobs based
on innovation by such actions as modernizing the patent system, realigning tax policies to encourage
innovation, and ensuring affordable broadband access.
Action D-: Enhance intellectual-property protection for the 2st-century global economy to ensure that
systems for protecting patents and other forms of intellectual property underlie the emerging knowledge
economy but allow research to enhance innovation.
D-1-1. Provide the U.S. Patent and Trademark Since 2005, various appropriations acts have provided
Office with sufficient resources to make the United States Patent and Trademark Office with
intellectual-property protection more timely, budget authority to spend all fees collected, effectively
predictable, and effective. providing additional resources to this agency.
D-1-2. Reconfigure the U.S. patent system by Legislation has been introduced to implement “first-to-
switching to a “first-inventor-to-file” system file,” but has not been passed and signed into law.
and by instituting administrative review after a
patent is granted.
D-1-3. Shield research uses of patented Not acted on.
inventions from infringement liability.
D-1-4. Change intellectual-property laws Various bills, including one passed by the House
that act as barriers to innovation in specific and one passed by the Senate, would address data
industries, such as those related to data exclusivity.
exclusivity (in pharmaceuticals) and those that
increase the volume and unpredictability of
litigation (especially in information-technology
industries).
Action D-2: Enact a stronger research and Several measures have been passed to bolster the
development tax credit to encourage private incentive in recent years, and others are under
investment. consideration.
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TAbLE 2-1 Continued
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION STEPS CONgRESSIONAL ACTIONS
Action D-3: Provide tax incentives for U.S.- Not acted on.
based innovation. The Council of Economic
Advisers and the Congressional Budget Office
should conduct a comprehensive analysis to
examine how the United States compares with
other nations as a location for innovation.
Action D-4: Ensure ubiquitous broadband In 2009, Congress appropriated $7.2 billion (ARRA)
Internet access through spectrum management for broadband improvement programs. Additional
and regulation. programs and legislation are under consideration.
SOURCE: Adapted from Congressional Research Service, Selected Congressional Actions Related to
Recommendations in the 2007 National Academies’ Rising Above the Gathering Storm Report, Memo to Senator
Jeff Bingaman, February 26, 2010.
NOTE: Appendixes E and F of the original Gathering Storm report provide cost estimates for implementing the
recommendations. Making a specific assessment of Congressional actions and executive branch implementation
against the recommendations would require additional information and analysis. This adaptation is not intended
to be comprehensive.
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